Word
masquerade
Phoneticsmas·quer·ade, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌmæskɝˈeɪd/
UK/mˈæskwəɹˌeɪd/
Definitions
01costume party
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a formal party or dance where everyone wears masks and fancy clothes.
n. a social gathering, typically a ball, where participants wear elaborate costumes and masks.
“The charity hosted a grand masquerade where guests wore beautiful gold masks.”
“The annual masquerade at the embassy required all attendees to remain masked until the stroke of midnight, adding an air of mystery to the gala.”
Synonyms
02cosplay performance
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Slang
n. an event where fans dress up as characters and perform short plays or dances.
n. a competitive event at a fan convention where costumed participants perform skits or choreographed routines.
“We spent months rehearsing our dance for the anime masquerade.”
“The convention's masquerade featured high-production skits that showcased both craftsmanship and theatrical talent.”
Synonyms
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'as' when describing a person's false identity.
Real-World Examples
“Such is King’s popularity, supporters chant his name and a couple last season donned fancy dress to masquerade as him, wearing lanyards, sky-blue ties and bouffant wigs.” “The most powerful of the three attack variants causes the infected Windows machine to masquerade as an iPhone.” “The British politician and activist Simon Woolley called the post “abhorrent racism, masquerading as pseudo-intellect”.” “There were two potential paths this hilariously overengineered weekend project masquerading as a clock could have shambled down.” Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Middle French mascarade, masquarade, masquerade (modern French mascarade (“masquerade, masque; farce”)), and its etymon Italian mascherata (“masquerade”), from maschera (“mask”) + -ata. Maschera is derived from Medieval Latin masca (“mask”): see further there. The English word is cognate with Late Latin masquarata, Portuguese mascarada, Spanish mascarada. The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/masquerade